New South Wales

THE annual New South Wales Household Travel Survey (HTS) has been released, detailing travel patterns in Sydney, Illawarra and Newcastle. The HTS is the largest and most comprehensive source of personal travel data for the Sydney Greater Metropolitan Area.

The survey shows that in 2008/09, Sydney residents made 16.3 million trips on an average weekday and 14.7 million on an average weekend day. Weekday trip growth slowed over the past year to 0.2%, despite population growth of 1.5% for the period.

A $55 million mixed use residential, commercial and retail development in West Ryde will deliver a variety of social and private housing options within metres of West Ryde Railway Station, according to the NSW Government, who approved the development last week.

THE NSW Government has approved Wingecarribee Shire's local environmental plan (LEP). The plan aims to support the housing and employment needs of local residents in the Shire, whilst protecting the area's rural character.

LEND Lease last week revealed amended plans for the Barangaroo development project, ahead of their submission to the NSW Department of Planning in July. "We have listened to the feedback received on our original design and further improved the proposed plans" said David Hutton, Group Head of Development for Lend Lease.

THE NSW Planning Department has approved a new local environmental plan (LEP) for Bondi Junction. The plan, prepared by Waverley Council for the Bondi Junction centre, will provide an extra 100,000 square metres of commercial floor space.

The NSW Metropolitan Strategy identifies Bondi Junction as the Major Centre of the East subregion. NSW Department of Planning Deputy Director-General Tom Gellibrand said Bondi Junction is a major retail and commercial precinct. "Indeed it is an important and iconic commercial centre for Sydney as a whole. This new LEP aims to address the need, as identified in the Metropolitan Strategy, to create an additional 4,400 jobs at Bondi Junction," Mr Gellibrand said.

THE New South Wales Government has proposed a new plan to protect nationally significant environmental lands whilst ensuring growth can occur in Sydney's North West and South West Growth Centres.Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the Growth Centres contain areas of high environmental value that need to be secured. It is projected that the Growth Centres will accommodate approximately 500,000 people over the next 30 years.

Mr Kelly said landholders and developers need a consistent process to provide certainty and that whilst the NSW Government simplified its environmental assessment process in 2007, assessments are still required under Commonwealth law.

THE New South Wales Government this week announced it has granted approval for a $145 million development in the North Sydney CBD. The development, located at 100 Mount Street, consists of a 38 storey commercial tower.

The approval follows Planning Minister Tony Kelly's approval of a $291 million development on Walker and Berry Streets. Mr Kelly said the North Sydney CBD is a "hugely important commercial centre for Sydney... This latest approval confirms that status and will provide for an additional 36,000 square metres of commercial floor space, with the capacity for around 2,700 new jobs, on top of the 4,000 jobs provided for under the March approval.

THE NSW Department of Planning has extended the exhibition of Sydney's Metropolitan Strategy and Metropolitan Transport Plan.

The exhibition period was originally set to conclude on April 30, but will now continue until May 28.

Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the extension comes after Sydney's local councils requested more time to finalise detailed submissions on the Metropolitan Strategy, which has a strong focus on urban renewal and infill development.

THE NSW Government has announced it will implement recommendations to the planning system in order to "increase competition and lower prices to consumers across the state".

Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the NSW Government would implement the recommendations of a review that looked into promoting economic growth and commercial competition through the planning system.

The review was conducted by the Department of Planning and the Better Regulation Office who investigated how the NSW planning system promotes or detracts from opportunities for competition and economic growth.

SOLAR electricity generation systems, up to one hectare in size, and domestic wind turbines may be able to be approved in 10 days, according to discussion papers released by the NSW Department of Planning this month.

Planning Minister Tony Kelly, said the changes are about allowing home and other property owners to more easily install their own wind and solar power systems. "This has several advantages including being able to turn our existing suburbs and rural areas into renewable energy harvesting areas, with no or minimal environmental and local amenity impacts," Mr Kelly said.

COSTCO'S first Sydney store is expected to open next year, after the NSW Government yesterday announced it has approved Costco’s $58 million retail warehouse and office in Auburn.

The approved three-storey development includes a retail warehouse with over 13,700 square metres of gross floor area (GFA); nearly 2,000 square metres of commercial office GFA for the Costco Australian regional headquarters; and 745 car parking spaces, bicycle parking, loading docks, landscaping, and infrastructure and stormwater works. The subject land is located at 17-21 Parramatta Road, Auburn.

Costco is the fourth largest retailer in the USA and one of the largest retailers in the world, operating from approximately 554 locations. The construction of Costco's first Sydney store in Auburn follows on from the successful opening last year of Costco's first Australian store, located at Melbourne's Docklands. Costco have indicated a desire to increase their presence in Australia.

COSTCO'S plans for its first store in Sydney has sparked objections from Westfield, AMP and the Shopping Centre Council of Australia. The proposed $60 million store and regional headquarters, to be located on Parramatta Road, Auburn, was to be Costco's second Australian outlet following the successful opening last year of Costco's Melbourne Docklands' store.

Costco's application seeks demolition of the existing distribution warehouse on the land and construction of a new Costco Wholesale and Retail building with a total gross floor area of 16,477 square metres (consisting of 13,727 square metres of retail and 1,999 square metres of commercial office floorspace for the new Costco Australian regional headquarters. The application also seeks approval for a loading dock and 745 car parking spaces.

The Costco proposal does not fit into current planning laws and Costco is hoping to overcome this problem by defining itself as a 'bulky goods retailer' rather than a 'shop' or 'retail premises' which would not be permitted in its proposed location. The Shopping Centre Council of Australia said there is "no distinction between the goods sold at Costco or at any other 'shop' within Australia."

THE NSW Department of Planning released its population projections last week, revealing that strong growth is projected in many areas of New South Wales. The figures are contained in a new population projections report, produced by the Department of Planning, which covers the period from 2006 to 2036.

The Sydney metropolitan area is projected to have a population over just over 5.5 million in 2036. The greatest projected population growth in Sydney metropolitan subregions area are the South West (increase of 113%), Sydney City (60%) and the North West (52%).

Planning Minister Tony Kelly said "it's pleasing to see some of our inland and coastal areas are expected to experience strong growth, helping the State's regional economy. Apart from regional centres, the projections also indicated strong population growth in western Sydney, central Sydney, coastal areas and areas to the north and east of Canberra."